Beltran vs. Cangayda, JR PDF

SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 877 7/14/20, 9:32 PM
G.R. No. 225033. August 15, 2018.*
SPOUSES ANTONIO BELTRAN and FELISA BELTRAN,

petitioners, vs. SPOUSES APOLONIO CANGAYDA, JR.
and LORETA E. CANGAYDA, respondents.
Civil Law; Sales; Contract to Sell; Words and Phrases; A

contract to sell is defined as a „bilateral contract whereby the
prospective
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* SECOND DIVISION.
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VOL. 877, AUGUST 15, 2018 583

Beltran vs. Cangayda, Jr.
seller, while expressly reserving the ownership of the subject

property despite its delivery to the prospective buyer, commits to sell
the property exclusively to the prospective buyer‰ upon full payment
of the purchase price.·Article 1458 of the Civil Code defines a
contract of sale: By the contract of sale one of the contracting
parties obligates himself to transfer the ownership of and to deliver
a determinate thing, and the other to pay therefor a price certain in
money or its equivalent. „[A] contract to sell, [on the other hand], is
defined as a bilateral contract whereby the prospective seller, while
expressly reserving the ownership of the subject property despite its
delivery to the prospective buyer, commits to sell the property
exclusively to the prospective buyer‰ upon full payment of the
purchase price. Jurisprudence defines the distinctions between a
contract of sale and a contract to sell to be as follows: In a contract
of sale, title passes to the vendee upon the delivery of the thing sold;
whereas in a contract to sell, by agreement the ownership is
reserved in the vendor and is not to pass until the full
payment of the price. In a contract of sale, the vendor has
lost and cannot recover ownership until and unless the
contract is resolved or rescinded; whereas in a contract to sell,
title is retained by the vendor until the full payment of the price,
x x x. x x x Based on the foregoing distinctions, the Court finds, and
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so holds, that the oral agreement entered into by the parties

constitutes a contract of sale and not a contract to sell.
Same; Same; Contract of Sale; The essential requisites of a
contract under Article 1318 of the New Civil Code are: (1) consent of
the contracting parties; (2) object certain which is the subject matter
of the contract; and (3) cause of the obligation which is established.
·A contract of sale is consensual in nature, and is perfected upon
the concurrence of its essential requisites, thus: The essential
requisites of a contract under Article 1318 of the New Civil
Code are: (1) consent of the contracting parties; (2) object
certain which is the subject matter of the contract; and (3)
cause of the obligation which is established. Thus, contracts,
other than real contracts are perfected by mere consent which is
manifested by the meeting of the offer and the acceptance upon the
thing and the cause which are to constitute the contract. Once
perfected, they bind other contracting parties and the obligations
arising therefrom have the force of law between the parties and
should be complied with in good faith. The parties are bound not
only to the fulfillment of what
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584 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

has been expressly stipulated but also to the consequences

which, according to their nature, may be in keeping with good faith,
usage and law. Being a consensual contract, sale is perfected
at the moment there is a meeting of minds upon the thing
which is the object of the contract and upon the price. From
that moment, the parties may reciprocally demand performance,
subject to the provisions of the law governing the form of contracts.
A perfected contract of sale imposes reciprocal obligations on the
parties whereby the vendor obligates himself to transfer the
ownership of and to deliver a determinate thing to the buyer who,
in turn, is obligated to pay a price certain in money or its
equivalent. Failure of either party to comply with his obligation
entitles the other to rescission as the power to rescind is implied in
reciprocal obligations.
Same; Same; Same; In a contract of sale, ownership of a thing
sold shall pass to the buyer upon actual or constructive delivery
thereof in the absence of any stipulation to the contrary.·In a
contract of sale, ownership of a thing sold shall pass to the buyer
upon actual or constructive delivery thereof in the absence of any
stipulation to the contrary. Reference to Articles 1477 and 1478 of
the Civil Code is in order: Article 1477. The ownership of the thing
sold shall be transferred to the vendee upon the actual or
constructive delivery thereof. Article 1478. The parties may
stipulate that ownership in the thing shall not pass to the

purchaser until he has fully paid the price. In accordance with the
cited provisions, ownership of the disputed property passed to
petitioners when its possession was transferred in their favor, as no
reservation to the contrary had been made.
Same; Same; Same; Article 1592 extends to the vendee in a sale
of immovable property the right to effect payment even after
expiration of the period agreed upon, as long as no demand for
rescission has been made upon him by the vendor.·Article 1191 of
the Civil Code lays down the remedies that the injured party may
resort to in case of breach of a reciprocal obligation · fulfillment of
the obligation or rescission thereof, with damages in either case.
Thus, in a contract of sale, the vendorÊs failure to pay the price
agreed upon generally constitutes breach, and extends to the vendor
the right to demand the contractÊs fulfillment or rescission. It is
important to stress, however, that the right of rescission granted to
the injured party under Article 1191 is predicated on a breach of
faith by the
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other party who violates the reciprocity between them. Stated

otherwise, rescission may not be resorted to in the absence of
breach of faith. In this connection, Article 1592 extends to the
vendee in a sale of immovable property the right to effect payment
even after expiration of the period agreed upon, as long as no
demand for rescission has been made upon him by the vendor.
PETITION for review on certiorari of the decision and

resolution of the Court of Appeals-Cagayan de Oro City
Twenty-First Division and Special Former Twenty-First
Division.
The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court.
Rama, Rama, Edig, Tenala & Partners for petitioners.
Mario B. Sapilan, Jr. for respondents.
CAGUIOA, J.:
The Case
This is a Petition for Review on Certiorari (Petition) filed

under Rule 45 of the Rules of Court against the Decision1
dated October 19, 2015 (assailed Decision) and Resolution2
dated May 17, 2016 (assailed Resolution) in C.A.-G.R. CV
No. 03414-MIN rendered by the Court of Appeals-Cagayan
de Oro City (CA) Twenty-First Division and Special Former

Twenty-First Division, respectively.
The assailed Decision and Resolution stem from an
appeal from the Decision3 dated July 15, 2013 issued by the
Regional
_______________
1 Rollo, pp. 17-24. Penned by Associate Justice Romulo V. Borja, with

Associate Justices Oscar V. Badelles and Pablito Perez, concurring.
2 Id., at pp. 15-16. Penned by Associate Justice Romulo V. Borja, with
Associate Justices Edgardo A. Camello and Oscar V. Badelles,
concurring.
3 The RTCÊs Decision is not part of the Records.
586

Trial Court (RTC), 11th Judicial Region, Davao del Norte,

Branch 31 in Civil Case No. 4020, directing petitioners
Antonio and Felisa Beltran (collectively, petitioners) to
vacate a 300-square-meter residential lot situated
in Barangay Magugpo, Tagum City, Davao del Norte
(disputed property) registered in the name of respondents
Apolonio, Jr. and Loreta Cangayda (collectively,
respondents) under TCT No. T-74907.
The Facts
Sometime in August 1989,4 respondents verbally agreed

to sell the disputed property to petitioners for P35,000.00.
After making an initial payment,5 petitioners took
possession of the disputed property and built their family
home thereon.6 Petitioners subsequently made additional
payments, which, together with their initial payment,
collectively amounted to P29,690.00.7
However, despite respondentsÊ repeated demands,
petitioners failed to pay their remaining balance of
P5,310.00.8 This prompted respondents to refer the matter
to the Office of the Barangay Chairman
9
of Barangay Magugpo, Tagum City (OBC).
Before the OBC, the parties signed an Amicable
Settlement dated August 24, 1992, bearing the following
terms:
3. That herein [petitioner Antonio] have already (sic) paid

the amount of x x x P29,690.00 x x x to [respondent Apolonio,
Jr.] and [there is a] remaining balance of x x x P5,310.00
x x x;
_______________
4 Rollo, p. 26.
5 The amount of the initial payment and the date on which it was paid
cannot be ascertained from the records.
6 Rollo, p. 17.
7 Id. Stated as P29,960.00 in the CAÊs Decision.
8 Id.
9 Id.
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4. That herein [petitioner Antonio] promise(s) to pay the

aforesaid balance to [respondent Apolonio, Jr.] [within a] one
week period (sic) to start AUGUST 24, 1992 (Monday);
5. That herein [petitioner Antonio] is willing to pay the all
(sic) expenses of the titling of the aforesaid lot; and
6. That herein [respondent Apolonio, Jr.] is also
willing to signed (sic) a deed of sale agreement after
[petitioner Antonio] were (sic) able to pay the
remaining balance x x x.
Failure to comply on (sic) the said agreement[,] the [OBC]
is willing to indorse (sic) this case to the higher court for
proper legal action.10 (Emphasis supplied)
Petitioners failed to pay within the period set forth in

the Amicable Settlement.11
On January 14, 2009, or nearly 17 years after the
expiration of petitionersÊ period to pay their remaining
balance, respondents served upon petitioners a „Last and
Final Demand‰ to vacate the disputed property within 30
days from notice. This demand was left unheeded.12
RTCÊs Proceedings
Consequently, on March 12, 2009, respondents filed a

complaint for recovery of possession and damages
(Complaint) before the RTC.13 Respondents alleged, among
others, that petitioners had been occupying the disputed
property without authority, and without payment of rental
fees.14
In their Answer, petitioners admitted that they failed to
settle their unpaid balance of P5,310.00 within the period
set in the Amicable Settlement. However, petitioners
alleged that
_______________
10 Id., at p. 26.
11 Id., at p. 18.
12 Id., at pp. 18, 55.
13 Id., at p. 52.
14 Id., at p. 18.
588

when they later attempted to tender payment two days

after said deadline,15 respondents refused to accept their
payment, demanding, instead, for an additional payment of
P50,000.00.16
On July 15, 2013, the RTC issued a Decision, the
dispositive portion of which reads:
WHEREFORE, premises considered, [petitioners], their

heirs, successors-in-interest and/or assigns are ordered to
vacate the portion of Lot No. 11 presently occupied by them
within [60 days] from receipt of x x x this Decision.
However, as there was no express agreement between the
parties that [respondents] may retain the sum of P29,600.00
already paid to them by [petitioners], [respondents] are
hereby ordered to return the said sum to [petitioners],
likewise within [60] days from receipt of this
Decision.17 (Emphasis supplied)
In so ruling, the RTC characterized the oral agreement

between the parties as a contract to sell. The RTC held that
the consummation of this contract to sell was averted due
to petitionersÊ failure to pay the purchase price in
full.18 Hence the RTC held that ownership over the
disputed property never passed to petitioners.19
Petitioners filed a Motion for Reconsideration, which the
RTC denied.20
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15 Id., at p. 5.
16 Id., at p. 18.
17 As quoted in the CAÊs Decision, id., at p. 19.
18 Id., at p. 5.
19 As narrated in the CAÊs Decision, id., at p. 20.
20 Id., at p. 5.
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CAÊs Proceedings
Aggrieved, petitioners brought the case to the CA via

ordinary appeal. Therein, petitioners argued that the oral
agreement they had entered into with respondents was not
a contract to sell but rather, a contract of sale which had
the effect of transferring ownership of the disputed
property upon its delivery.21
Petitioners also raised, for the first time on appeal, that
the sale of the disputed property constitutes a sale on
installment covered by Republic Act (R.A.) No.
6552,22 otherwise known as the Maceda Law. Corollarily,
petitioners argued that respondents should not be granted
relief, since they failed to comply with the specific
procedure for rescission of sales of real estate on
installment basis set forth under the statute.23
On October 19, 2015, the CA rendered the assailed
Decision, disposing the appeal as follows:
WHEREFORE, the appeal is DISMISSED. The July 15,

2013 Decision of the [RTC], Branch 31, 11th Judicial Region,
Tagum City, Davao del Norte, in Civil Case No. 4020 is
AFFIRMED.24
The CA affirmed the findings of the RTC anent the

nature of the contract entered into by the parties.25 In
addition, it rejected petitionersÊ invocation of the Maceda
Law. According to the CA, to allow petitioners to seek
protection under said
_______________
21 Id., at p. 20.
22 AN ACT TO PROVIDE PROTECTION TO BUYERS OF REAL ESTATE ON
INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS (REALTY INSTALLMENT BUYER PROTECTION ACT), dated

August 26, 1972.
23 See R.A. No. 6552, Sec. 3.
24 Rollo, p. 24.
25 Id., at pp. 20-22.
590

law for the first time on appeal would violate the tenets of
due process and fair play.26
Petitioners filed a Motion for Reconsideration which was
later denied through the assailed Resolution.
Thus, the present Petition now prays that the Court: (i)
reverses the judgment of the CA and RTC; and (ii) directs
respondents to allow them to settle their remaining balance
of P5,310.00 and, subsequently, convey the disputed
property in their favor.
Petitioners maintain, as they did before the CA, that the
oral agreement they entered into with respondents is a
contract of sale, and that, as a necessary incident of such
contract, ownership over the disputed property had been
transferred in their favor when they took possession and
built improvements thereon.27
Further, petitioners argue that respondents are not
entitled to recover possession of the disputed property since
they failed to cancel their oral agreement by way of a
notarial act, in accordance with the provisions of
the Maceda Law.28
Finally, petitioners aver that respondentsÊ Complaint is
an action upon a written agreement, as it is based on the
Amicable Settlement. Thus, petitioners conclude that
respondentsÊ action already prescribed, since it was filed
more than 10 years after the lapse of petitionersÊ period to
pay their outstanding balance. Petitioners further argue
that the Complaint is also barred by laches, considering
that respondents allowed petitioners to continue staying in
the disputed property for a period of 17 years after such
failure to pay.29
_______________
26 Id., at pp. 22-23.

27 Id., at pp. 6-9.
28 Id., at pp. 8-9.
29 Id., at pp. 10-11.
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The Issues
The Petition calls on the Court to resolve the following

issues:
1. Whether the CA erred when it affirmed the RTCÊs

Decision characterizing the oral agreement between
the parties as a contract to sell;
2. Whether the oral agreement between the parties is
covered by the Maceda Law; and
3. Whether respondentsÊ action for recovery of possession
should have been dismissed on the ground of
prescription and/or laches.
The CourtÊs Ruling
The Petition is meritorious.
The agreement between the

parties is an oral contract
of sale. As a consequence,
ownership of the disputed
property passed to peti-
tioners upon its delivery.
The CA characterized the partiesÊ agreement as a

contract to sell primarily on the basis of respondent
LoretaÊs testimony which purportedly confirms their intent
to reserve ownership of the disputed property until full
payment of the purchase price. The CA held:
At trial, [respondent Loreta] testified thus ·
[x x x x]
Q: Now, if any, tell us who are in possession of the [disputed property]
x x x?
592

A: [Petitioners] and their children who are also married.

Q: Now, if you know, how did [petitioners] and their children occupied
(sic) the land you have just mentioned?
A: I know because we have [an oral] agreement with
[petitioners] that they will buy [the disputed property].
Q: Tell us what happened to the [oral] agreement of (sic) [petitioners] if
you can recall?
A: Our [oral] agreement with [petitioner Antonio] that about 300
square meters lot (sic) that they will pay P35,000.00 to us but
[petitioner Antonio] told us that they will pay the amount of

P35,000.00 when [their] house will be sold, then they will
pay us.
Q: If you can recall, did [petitioners] comply with the [oral] agreement
to pay you P35,000.00?
A: At that time, [petitioners] gave me only P15,000.00.
Q: Other than the P15,000.00 (sic) if you can recall, did they pay you?
A: x x x [Petitioners] has a rattan furniture, they made us a chair and it
costs about P14,600.00.
Q: In short, Miss witness, please tell us how much amount (sic)
[petitioners] paid you?
A: According to their total, they paid me P29,690.00.
[Respondent LoretaÊs] testimony · that at the moment the
[oral] agreement was entered into by the parties, [petitioners]
„will buy that property‰ · suggests that the contract of sale
was expected to be entered into at some future date when a
condition has been fulfilled. In this case, that condition
appears to be the full payment of the purchase price. The Court
notes that this testimony was not controverted. In their Brief,
[petitioners] merely counter with
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VOL. 877, AUGUST 15, 2018 593

the bare insistence that what the parties entered into verbally was a contract
of sale.30 (Emphasis supplied)
According to the CA, the foregoing finding is further

bolstered by clause 6 of the Amicable Settlement, to which
petitioner Antonio expressed his assent. Clause 6 reads:
That herein [respondent Apolonio, Jr.] is also willing to

signed (sic) a deed of sale agreement after [petitioner
Antonio] were (sic) able to pay the remaining balance x x x.31
The CAÊs finding is erroneous.

Article 1458 of the Civil Code defines a contract of sale:
By the contract of sale one of the contracting parties obligates

himself to transfer the ownership of and to deliver a
determinate thing, and the other to pay therefor a price
certain in money or its equivalent.
„[A] contract to sell, [on the other hand], is defined as a

bilateral contract whereby the prospective seller, while
expressly reserving the ownership of the subject property

despite its delivery to the prospective buyer, commits to sell
the property exclusively to the prospective buyer‰32 upon
full payment of the purchase price.
Jurisprudence defines the distinctions between a
contract of sale and a contract to sell to be as follows:
In a contract of sale, title passes to the vendee upon the

delivery of the thing sold; whereas in a contract to sell, by
agreement the ownership is reserved in the vendor
and is not to pass until the full payment of the price. In
a contract of sale, the vendor has lost
_______________
30 Id., at pp. 20-21.

31 Id., at p. 26.
32 Platinum Plans Phil., Inc. v. Cucueco, 522 Phil. 133, 144; 488 SCRA
156, 166 (2006).
594

and cannot recover ownership until and unless the

contract is resolved or rescinded; whereas in a contract to sell,
title is retained by the vendor until the full payment of the price,
x x x.33 (Emphasis supplied)
Based on the foregoing distinctions, the Court finds, and

so holds, that the oral agreement entered into by the
parties constitutes a contract of sale and not a contract to
sell.
A contract of sale is consensual in nature, and is
perfected upon the concurrence of its essential
requisites,34 thus:
The essential requisites of a contract under Article

1318 of the New Civil Code are: (1) consent of the
contracting parties; (2) object certain which is the
subject matter of the contract; and (3) cause of the
obligation which is established. Thus, contracts, other
than real contracts are perfected by mere consent which is
manifested by the meeting of the offer and the acceptance
upon the thing and the cause which are to constitute the
contract. Once perfected, they bind other contracting parties
and the obligations arising therefrom have the force of law
between the parties and should be complied with in good
faith. The parties are bound not only to the fulfillment of

what has been expressly stipulated but also to the
consequences which, according to their nature, may be in
keeping with good faith, usage and law.
Being a consensual contract, sale is perfected at the
moment there is a meeting of minds upon the thing
which is the object of the contract and upon the price.
From that moment, the parties may reciprocally demand
performance, subject to the provisions of the law governing
the form of contracts. A perfected contract of sale imposes
reciprocal obligations on the par-
_______________
33 San Lorenzo Development Corporation v. Court of Appeals, 490

Phil. 7, 19; 449 SCRA 99, 112 (2005).
34 Province of Cebu v. Heirs of Rufina Morales, 569 Phil. 641, 650; 546
SCRA 315, 323 (2008).
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VOL. 877, AUGUST 15, 2018 595

ties whereby the vendor obligates himself to transfer the

ownership of and to deliver a determinate thing to the buyer who,
in turn, is obligated to pay a price certain in money or its
equivalent. Failure of either party to comply with his obligation
entitles the other to rescission as the power to rescind is implied in
reciprocal obligations.35 (Emphasis supplied)
Contrary to the CAÊs findings, neither respondent

LoretaÊs testimony nor clause 6 of the Amicable Settlement
supports the conclusion that the partiesÊ agreement is not a
contract of sale, but only a contract to sell · the reason
being that it is not evident from said testimony and clause
6 that there was an express agreement to reserve
ownership despite delivery of the disputed property.
A plain reading of respondent LoretaÊs testimony shows
that the partiesÊ oral agreement constitutes a meeting of
the minds as to the sale of the disputed property and its
purchase price. Respondent LoretaÊs statements do not in
any way suggest that the parties intended to enter into a
contract of sale at a later time. Such statements only
pertain to the time at which petitioners expected, or at
least hoped, to acquire the sufficient means to pay the
purchase price agreed upon. For emphasis, the Court
reproduces the relevant statements relied upon by the CA:
Our [oral] agreement with [petitioner Antonio] that about 300

square meters lot (sic) that they will pay P35,000.00 to us but
[petitioner Antonio] told us that they will pay the
amount of P35,000.00 when [their] house will be sold,
then they will pay us.36 (Emphasis supplied)
_______________
35 Macasaet v. R. Transport Corporation, 561 Phil. 605, 612-613; 535

SCRA 503, 510-511 (2007).
36 Rollo, p. 21.
596

Clause 6 of the Amicable Settlement merely states

respondent Apolonio, Jr.Ês commitment to formalize and
reduce the oral agreement of the parties into a public
instrument upon payment of petitionersÊ outstanding
balance. It bears emphasizing that a formal document is
not necessary for the sale transaction to acquire binding
effect.37 Hence, the subsequent execution of a formal deed
of sale does not negate the perfection of the partiesÊ oral
contract of sale which had already taken place upon the
meeting of the partiesÊ minds as to the subject of the
transaction and its purchase price.
In a contract of sale, ownership of a thing sold shall pass
to the buyer upon actual or constructive delivery thereof in
the absence of any stipulation to the contrary.38 Reference
to Articles 1477 and 1478 of the Civil Code is in order:
Article 1477. The ownership of the thing sold shall be

transferred to the vendee upon the actual or constructive delivery
thereof.
Article 1478. The parties may stipulate that ownership in
the thing shall not pass to the purchaser until he has fully
paid the price.
In accordance with the cited provisions, ownership of the

disputed property passed to petitioners when its possession
was transferred in their favor, as no reservation to the
contrary had been made.
_______________
37 „Subject to the provisions of the Statute of Frauds, a formal

document is not necessary for the sale transaction to acquire binding
effect. For as long as the essential elements of a contract of sale are

proved to exist in a given transaction, the contract is deemed perfected
regardless of the absence of a formal deed evidencing the same.‰ See
generally Province of Cebu v. Heirs of Rufina Morales, supra note 34 at p.
649; pp. 323-324.
38 CIVIL CODE, Arts. 1477 and 1488. See generally Dignos v. Court of
Appeals, 242 Phil. 114, 121; 158 SCRA 375, 383 (1988).
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Considering that respondentsÊ Complaint is anchored

upon their alleged ownership of the disputed property, their
prayer to recover possession thereof as a consequence of
such alleged ownership cannot prosper.
Slight delay is not sufficient

to justify rescission.
Article 1191 of the Civil Code39 lays down the remedies

that the injured party may resort to in case of breach of a
reciprocal obligation · fulfillment of the obligation or
rescission thereof, with damages in either case.
Thus, in a contract of sale, the vendorÊs failure to pay
the price agreed upon generally constitutes breach, and
extends to the vendor the right to demand the contractÊs
fulfillment or rescission.40
It is important to stress, however, that the right of
rescission granted to the injured party under Article 1191
is predicated on a breach of faith by the other party who
violates the reciprocity between them.41 Stated otherwise,
rescission may not be resorted to in the absence of breach
of faith.
_______________
39 Article 1191 provides:

Article 1191. The power to rescind obligations is implied in
reciprocal ones, in case one of the obligors should not comply with what
is incumbent upon him.
The injured party may choose between the fulfillment and the
rescission of the obligation, with the payment of damages in either case.
He may also seek rescission, even after he has chosen fulfillment, if the
latter should become impossible.
The court shall decree the rescission claimed, unless there be just
cause authorizing the fixing of a period.
This is understood to be without prejudice to the rights of third
persons who have acquired the thing, in accordance with Articles 1385
and 1388 and the Mortgage Law.
40 Supra note 34 at p. 651; p. 324.
41 See generally Velarde v. Court of Appeals, 413 Phil. 360, 373; 361
SCRA 56, 68 (2001).
598

In this connection, Article 1592 extends to the vendee in

a sale of immovable property the right to effect payment
even after expiration of the period agreed upon, as long as
no demand for rescission has been made upon him by the
vendor. The provision states:
Article 1592. In the sale of immovable property, even

though it may have been stipulated that upon failure to pay
the price at the time agreed upon the rescission of the
contract shall of right take place, the vendee may pay, even
after the expiration of the period, as long as no demand for
rescission of the contract has been made upon him either
judicially or by a notarial act. After the demand, the court
may not grant him a new term.
A reading of Article 1592 in conjunction with Article

1191 thus suggests that in the absence of any stipulation to
the contrary, the vendorÊs failure to pay within the period
agreed upon shall not constitute a breach of faith, so long
as payment is made before the vendor demands for
rescission, either judicially, or by notarial act.
Hence, in Taguba v. Peralta,42 (Taguba) the Court held
that slight delay in the payment of the purchase
price does not serve as a sufficient ground for the
rescission of a sale of real property:
Despite the denomination of the deed as a „Deed of

Conditional Sale‰ a reading of the conditions x x x therein set
forth reveals the contrary. Nowhere in the said contract in
question could we find a proviso or stipulation to the effect
that title to the property sold is reserved in the vendor until
full payment of the purchase price. There is also no
stipulation giving the vendor (petitioner Taguba) the right to
unilaterally rescind the contract the moment the vendee
(private respondent de Leon) fails to pay within a fixed period
x x x.
_______________
42 217 Phil. 690; 132 SCRA 722 (1984).
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VOL. 877, AUGUST 15, 2018 599

Considering, therefore, the nature of the transaction

between petitioner Taguba and private respondent, which We
affirm and sustain to be a contract of sale, absolute in nature
the applicable provision is Article 1592 of the New Civil Code
x x x.
xxxx
In the case at bar, it is undisputed that petitioner Taguba
never notified private respondent by notarial act that he was
rescinding the contract, and neither had he filed a suit in
court to rescind the sale.
Finally, it has been ruled that „where time is not of
the essence of the agreement, a slight delay on the part
of one party in the performance of his obligation is not
a sufficient ground for the rescission of the
agreement.‰ Considering that in the instant case,
private respondent had already actually paid the sum
of P12,500.00 of the total stipulated purchase price of
P18,000.00 and had tendered payment of the balance of
P5,500.00 within the grace period of six months from
December 31, 1972, equity and justice mandate that
she be given additional period within which to
complete payment of the purchase price.43 (Emphasis
supplied)
The Court applied the foregoing principles in the

subsequent case of Dignos v. Court of
44
Appeals, (Dignos) where it resolved to grant respondent
therein an additional period within which to settle his
outstanding balance of P4,000.00, considering that he „was
delayed in payment only for one month.‰45 It is worth
noting that in Dignos, the Court granted the vendee an
additional period to pay the balance, despite the fact that
no grace period had been stipulated upon by the parties
therein, as in Taguba.
_______________
43 Id., at pp. 696-697; pp. 727-728.

44 Dignos v. Court of Appeals, supra note 38.
45 Id., at p. 123; p. 384.
600

Here, petitioners acknowledge that they failed to settle

the purchase price of the disputed property in full within
the deadline set by the Amicable Settlement. Nevertheless,
the Court does not lose sight of the fact that petitioners
have already paid more than three-fourths of the purchase
price agreed upon. Further, petitioners have constituted
their family home on the disputed property in good faith,
and have lived thereon for 17 years without protest.
In addition, respondents do not dispute that petitioners
offered to settle their outstanding balance of P5,310.00
„two (2) days after the deadline [set by the Amicable
Settlement] and a few times thereafter,‰46 which offers
respondents refused to accept.47 Respondents also do not
claim to have made a demand for rescission at any time
before petitioners made such offers to pay, either through
judicial or extrajudicial means, such as through a notarial
act.
Thus, pursuant to Article 1592, and consistent with the
CourtÊs rulings in Taguba and Dignos, the Court deems it
proper to grant petitioners a period of 30 days from notice
of this Decision to settle their outstanding balance.
Assuming that petition-

ersÊ failure to pay consti-
tutes breach, respondentsÊ
cause of action is already
barred by prescription.
Respondents hinge their cause of action on petitionersÊ

failure to pay within the period set by the Amicable
Settlement. Hence, this would mean that respondentsÊ
action is one that proceeds from a breach of a written
agreement, which, under Article 1144 of the Civil Code,
prescribes in 10 years.48
_______________
46 Rollo, p. 5.
47 Id.
48 Article 1144 provides:
601
VOL. 877, AUGUST 15, 2018 601

RespondentsÊ Complaint was filed 17 years after the

expiration of the payment period stipulated in the
Amicable Settlement. Assuming that petitionersÊ failure to
pay within said period constitutes sufficient breach which
gives rise to a cause of action, such action has clearly
prescribed.
Considering the foregoing, the Court deems it
unnecessary to delve into the other issues raised in the
Petition.
WHEREFORE, the Petition is GRANTED. The
Decision and Resolution respectively dated October 19,
2015 and May 17, 2016 rendered by the Court of Appeals-
Cagayan de Oro City in C.A.-G.R. CV No. 03414-MIN, and
the Decision dated July 15, 2013 issued by the Regional
Trial Court, Branch 31, 11th Judicial Region, Davao del
Norte (RTC) in Civil Case No. 4020
are REVERSED and SET ASIDE.
Petitioners Antonio and Felisa Beltran
are ORDERED to pay respondents Apolonio Cangayda, Jr.
and Loreta E. Cangayda the sum of P5,310.00,
representing their outstanding balance, within 30 days
from notice of this Decision. In case of refusal or inability
on the part of respondents to receive said amount,
petitioners are DIRECTED to deposit the same with the
RTC for the account of respondents. The sum due shall
earn interest at the rate of six percent (6%) per
annum from the date of finality of this Decision until full
payment, in accordance with the CourtÊs ruling in Nacar v.
Gallery Frames.49
Upon receipt of the foregoing sum, or the deposit of such
sum with the RTC, respondents
are DIRECTED to EXECUTE a Deed of Absolute Sale in
favor of petitioners for the purpose of formalizing the oral
contract of sale concerning the 300-square-meter
residential lot situated in Barangay Ma-
_______________
The following actions must be brought within ten years from the time
the right of action accrues:
(1) Upon a written contract;
(2) Upon an obligation created by law;
(3) Upon a judgment.
49 716 Phil. 267; 703 SCRA 439 (2013).
602

gugpo, Tagum City, Davao del Norte, covered by TCT No. T-

74907, and DELIVER to petitioners the original ownerÊs
duplicate copy of TCT No. T-74907. In case of refusal or
inability on the part of respondents to execute a Deed of
Absolute Sale and/or deliver said ownerÊs duplicate copy,
this Decision shall be sufficient to grant the proper
Registrar of Deeds the necessary authority to cancel TCT
No. T-74907 and issue a new title in the name of
petitioners.
SO ORDERED.
Carpio** (Chairperson), Perlas-Bernabe, A. Reyes, Jr.

and J. Reyes, Jr.,*** JJ., concur.
Petition granted, judgment and resolution reversed and

set aside.
Notes.·A contract of sale is perfected upon the meeting

of minds as to the object and the price, and the parties may
reciprocally demand the performance of their respective
obligations from that point on. (Lam vs. Kodak Philippines,
Ltd., 778 SCRA 96 [2016])
The obligation of the seller to sell becomes demandable
only upon the occurrence of the suspensive condition. (Felix
Plazo Urban Poor Settlers Community Association, Inc. vs.
Lipat, Sr., 821 SCRA 12 [2017])
··o0o··
_______________
** Designated Senior Associate Justice per Section 12, R.A. No. 296,
The Judiciary Act of 1948, as amended.
*** Designated additional member per Special Order No. 2587 dated
August 28, 2018.
© Copyright 2020 Central Book Supply, Inc. All rights reserved.

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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 877 7/14/20, 9:32 PM

G.R. No. 225033. August 15, 2018.*

SPOUSES ANTONIO BELTRAN and FELISA BELTRAN,

Civil Law; Sales; Contract to Sell; Words and Phrases; A

VOL. 877, AUGUST 15, 2018 583

seller, while expressly reserving the ownership of the subject

so holds, that the oral agreement entered into by the parties

584 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

has been expressly stipulated but also to the consequences

stipulate that ownership in the thing shall not pass to the

VOL. 877, AUGUST 15, 2018 585

other party who violates the reciprocity between them. Stated

PETITION for review on certiorari of the decision and

This is a Petition for Review on Certiorari (Petition) filed

de Oro City (CA) Twenty-First Division and Special Former

1 Rollo, pp. 17-24. Penned by Associate Justice Romulo V. Borja, with

586 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Trial Court (RTC), 11th Judicial Region, Davao del Norte,

Sometime in August 1989,4 respondents verbally agreed

3. That herein [petitioner Antonio] have already (sic) paid

VOL. 877, AUGUST 15, 2018 587

4. That herein [petitioner Antonio] promise(s) to pay the

Petitioners failed to pay within the period set forth in

Consequently, on March 12, 2009, respondents filed a

588 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

when they later attempted to tender payment two days

WHEREFORE, premises considered, [petitioners], their

In so ruling, the RTC characterized the oral agreement

VOL. 877, AUGUST 15, 2018 589

Aggrieved, petitioners brought the case to the CA via

WHEREFORE, the appeal is DISMISSED. The July 15,

The CA affirmed the findings of the RTC anent the

INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS (REALTY INSTALLMENT BUYER PROTECTION ACT), dated

590 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

26 Id., at pp. 22-23.

VOL. 877, AUGUST 15, 2018 591

The Petition calls on the Court to resolve the following

1. Whether the CA erred when it affirmed the RTCÊs

The CourtÊs Ruling

The Petition is meritorious.

The agreement between the

The CA characterized the partiesÊ agreement as a

592 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

A: [Petitioners] and their children who are also married.

[petitioner Antonio] told us that they will pay the amount of

VOL. 877, AUGUST 15, 2018 593

According to the CA, the foregoing finding is further

That herein [respondent Apolonio, Jr.] is also willing to

The CAÊs finding is erroneous.

By the contract of sale one of the contracting parties obligates

„[A] contract to sell, [on the other hand], is defined as a

expressly reserving the ownership of the subject property

In a contract of sale, title passes to the vendee upon the

30 Id., at pp. 20-21.

594 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

and cannot recover ownership until and unless the

Based on the foregoing distinctions, the Court finds, and

The essential requisites of a contract under Article

faith. The parties are bound not only to the fulfillment of

33 San Lorenzo Development Corporation v. Court of Appeals, 490

VOL. 877, AUGUST 15, 2018 595

ties whereby the vendor obligates himself to transfer the

Contrary to the CAÊs findings, neither respondent